Wonka (2023)

“Wonka” stars Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant. Released on December 15, 2023, the film chronicles the early days of an eccentric chocolatier.

The film was directed by Paul King, who also directed “Bunny and the Bull”, “Paddington”, and “Paddington 2”. It is a prequel to Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Many people have known the story of the happy-go-lucky chocolate lover responsible for creating the best chocolate in the world and even punishing the selfish kids with his factory’s trappings. However, none of them knew how that phenomenon came to be and how that chocolatier became so…willy. At least, not until recently. This weekend continues one of Hollywood’s holiday traditions, releasing one or more movie musicals to brighten everyone’s moods amid the stressful Christmas shopping. This year, Warner Brothers Discovery is releasing two movie musicals during the holiday season, and the first one it's releasing to conclude its mediocre 100-year celebration is the early chronicles of one of Dahl’s iconic characters. I guess if they want to end its centennial celebration with a bang, they might as well do it with chirpy songs and teeth-rotting chocolate. With that said, let’s see if this music-driven prequel is as wondrous as Wonka’s magical chocolate.

The story centers on a young Willy Wonka (Chalamet), an aspiring magician, inventor, and chocolatier. He travels to an unnamed European city to fulfill his dream of opening his chocolate shop at the Galeries Gourmet. However, his journey to make his dream a reality isn’t without a few obstacles standing in his way. One of those obstacles is his competition, the “Chocolate Cartel”, led by Arthur Slugworth (Joseph), who’ll stop at nothing to stay on top of the chocolate game. The other is paying the rent for Mrs. Scrubbit (Colman). With the help of his trusty companions, including an orphan named Noodle (Lane) and an Oompa Loompa named Lofty (Grant), Willy strives to become the best chocolate maker in the world.

My first exposure to Roald Dahl’s delectable source material was the 1971 film adaptation starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, which I still love. While I also have a soft spot for Tim Burton’s kooky version with Johnny Depp walking in Wonka’s shoes, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” remains a timeless classic for all ages due to its charm, child-like wonder, and message involving selflessness over selfishness. It’s one of the movies we all need to escape from the horrors and stupidity of the outside world, especially during our current predicaments. From the marketing alone, “Wonka” looks like it’s attempting to recapture the magic of the 1971 adaptation while becoming its own thing. Was it able to accomplish this daunting task? Honestly, yes. It’s far from a perfect adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic book, but it retains the charm and wonder that made it as tastefully divine as a piece of chocolate.

The film follows the usual “origin story” playbook, with the young Wonka learning to become the famously wonderful chocolatier shown in the source material and movie adaptations. It also contains several elements from the 1971 film, including the orange-skinned, green-haired Oompa Loompas and the musical songs. However, the movie has its own style and world-building that makes it look similar to the previous film adaptations but also refreshing enough to revitalize them for newcomers. It even has plenty of Easter eggs that hearken back to the 1971 version, which should delight many nostalgic people who grew up with that film adaptation. Those ingredients, along with its cast and director, Paul King, are mixed together to create a whimsically delicious snack that pops and oozes with delight, awe, and even heart.

Its storytelling doesn’t break any new ground regarding the musical genre and its commentary involving greed and corruption, but it doesn’t need to. “Wonka” only exists to provide entertainment escapism and a harmless, old-fashioned depiction of following one’s dreams and sharing them with the people they’re with. It has a sense of warmth and comfort that reminds us why we like watching movies, even if they don’t match the quality of its award-worthy competitors. More importantly, it reminded me of the other Roald Dahl adaptations I grew up watching in the 90s, including Willy Wonka and “Matilda”. Despite feeling a bit dragged out with its runtime and a couple of iffy visual effects, “Wonka” retains the child-like imagination and heart of those adaptations and delivers a sincerely eye-popping and comforting tribute to the dreamers of today. While I wouldn’t call it Paul King’s best work, the director never disappoints in portraying the subtleness and silliness in its upbeat and fantastical tone. Considering how much I loved his take on the “Paddington” films, this doesn’t surprise me.

Along with Paul King’s direction, the film’s cast also provides some pizzazz with their performances, including Timothée Chalamet as the titular character. This was a huge change of pace for the young actor, mainly because I’ve only seen him in some dramatic movies like “Call Me by Your Name,” “Little Women,” and “Dune.” So, seeing him play a cheerful yet naive chocolate-making magician is a complete 180 for me. But it’s a complete 180 that I wouldn’t mind seeing more of. His dynamically charismatic performance as Willy showcases that Chalamet has the right acting skills to expand his performing horizons. It shows that the actor can do more than just play moody characters all the time. Plus, his singing voice was surprisingly decent. Hopefully, this type of praise will be enough for Chalamet to get more roles like this in the future. Calah Lane, known for playing young Laurel in “This Is Us," also did very well in her breakout role as Noodle, Willy’s assistant. Another highlight I should mention is Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa. Despite being in a minor role, Grant made his small screen time count regarding his performance and humor. Keegan-Michael Key and Paterson Joseph also delivered some likable moments as the Chief-of-Police and Arthur Slugworth, respectively.

Another element I adored was the production designs. Like the candy shown in the film, the settings in “Wonka” are packed with eye-popping and colorful flavors that make my taste buds dance with delight. It’s a sweet and sugar-coated wonderland that captures the wonder and innocence of the 1971 adaptation. It does sound like I’m sugar-coating it a bit, but how else am I going to describe a film like this, by comparing it to healthy vegetables? Additionally, the production designs effectively made the movie’s musical numbers fizzle with joy like the sparkling candies kids liked to eat back in the day. Neil Hannon, the lead singer of the Divine Comedy, was responsible for the film’s original songs, with Joby Talbot composing the score. While most of them may not stay in your head during the drive home, the songs are joyous enough to inject their show-stopping, Broadway-esque flair into the movie’s tone. If someone asks me what my favorites are, I would say “A World of Your Own” and “You’ve Never Had Chocolate Like This” were decent toe-tappers, and Chalamet’s rendition of “Pure Imagination” was surprisingly good.

Overall, “Wonka” is a delectable and feel-good treat that honors the joy and dynamic charm of the iconic chocolatier with its flavorful touch of sincerity. Its sugar-coated and kid-friendly sweets easily overshadow its thematic undertones and hit-and-miss plot elements. However, that hardly matters, as the movie accomplished its goal of delivering an entertaining and harmless musical fit for kids and adults who grew up with Roald Dahl’s novel and the film adaptations. From its likable cast to the dazzling production designs and a decent story, the film is a piece of chocolate that’s easy to consume without giving me an irritating cavity. If you’re familiar with Willy Wonka and want something light-hearted and joyful, this film is a delicious choice for this holiday season.

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